If you like a good story, you’ll love the Trails games.
I wouldn’t have to think for five minutes about which games I would take with me to a deserted island: Trails! Trails, trails, trails. After all, I’m a clever fox, because by the time I’ve finished all 12 Trails games, either a lifeboat has already arrived – or I’ve fallen asleep peacefully due to old age.
Trails stands for countless role-playing games, starting with the very first Trails in the Sky from 2004 to the latest 2022 Trails Through Daybreak 2. In between there are ten of the best RPGs that I have played in my entire life. And they all tell a gigantic, unforgettable story that shows the entire industry that games don’t have to hide behind a single narrative medium.
It’s currently available on Steam a big sale on XSEED games, which is the western distribution behind some Trails titles. As part of this discount campaign, you will find various role-playing games, some of which are heavily discounted. In detail:
Now there is good news and bad news.
The good and the bad news
The good news: Trails in the Sky 1, 2 and 3 are the perfect introduction to the Trails story; they start out seemingly simple, as they are about two adventurers who set out into the wide world to fight evil. It sounds super cliché, but it creates such a complex, multi-layered story that even Game of Thrones gives up the Iron Throne for it. The complete (spoiler-free) explanation of the fascination of trails can be found in our podcast for the Trails series.
The bad news: XSEED does not have all the distribution rights for Trails games in the West. As a result, over half of this legendary role-playing game series is not included in the Steam sale because it is marketed by another publisher. If you want to continue playing chronologically after Trails in the Sky the 3rd (and you should), then there is no way Trails from Zero cost 40 dollars
You might be thinking: Hmm, Dimi is being a bit vague with these Trails games, but that’s on purpose! The less you know about the story, the better. Just this much: If you like classic turn-based role-playing games that take you into a fascinating steampunk world, then there is hardly a better candidate than Trails.
